In their last 10 games, Steph Curry and the Warriors are 5-5. The team is coming off a 134-117 win on Monday vs. the Utah Jazz. Now, Golden State is 10-9 in the 2025-26 season. That is eighth in the Western Conference.
Monday’s win was the Warriors’ sixth consecutive game without the services of Jonathan Kuminga. The 23-year-old has been dealing with knee pain. Kuminga recently had an MRI, and it revealed there is no severe injury. Despite his MRI coming back clean, Kuminga is still complaining of knee pain and hasn’t returned to practice. ESPN’s Anthony Slater believes this is a deliberate move by Jonathan Kuminga.
Is Jonathan Kuminga holding himself out from playing for Golden State?
The Warriors were hoping Jonathan Kuminga would start scrimmaging after his MRI came back clean, but he says his knee has been sore for two weeks 😬, per @anthonyVslater
“The MRI on Kuminga’s knees came back clean, sources told ESPN, so there is no structural damage. He has… pic.twitter.com/4X7dMfgbL3
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 24, 2025
Over the summer, there was increased speculation that the Warriors would trade PF Jonathan Kuminga. Many analysts predicted Kuminga would not return to the team in 2025-26. However, Jonathan Kuminga signed a two-year, $46.8 million deal with Golden State. He is on the books for a fully guarenteed $22.5 million this season. Additionally, Kuminga has a $24.3 million club option for the 2026-27 season. Many speculate that Jonathan Kuminga could be traded by that point.
To begin the 2025-26 season, Jonathan Kuminga has played in 13 of the Warriors’ 19 games and made 12 starts. However, Kuminga has missed six consecutive games for the team due to a lingering knee injury. Recently, the young PF had an MRI on his knee, and the results came back clean. Golden State anticipated Jonathan Kuminga would return to practice on Sunday. However, that was not the case.
Jonathan Kuminga feels like the “scapegoat” for the Warriors’ .500 start, yet every time he gets real minutes, he produces 😵💫
Chandler Parsons doesn’t get why Steve Kerr trusts Quinten Post more, while Michelle Beadle thinks it might just be a case of two people not vibing… pic.twitter.com/hOIHMj2MKt
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 24, 2025
Despite his MRI coming back clean, Jonathan Kuminga is still complaining about knee pain. ESPN’s Anthony Slater believes this is a deliberate move by Kuminga. Slater also mentioned how Kuminga feels like a “scapegoat” for the Warriors’ struggles. After losing five of seven games earlier in the season, Kuminga was removed from the starting lineup.
Ahead of the Warriors’ game on Monday, head coach Steve Kerr spoke to the media. He was asked about the status of Jonathan Kuminga moving forward. Surprisingly, Kerr did not have much of an update on the PF. Based on his comments on Monday, Steve Kerr seemed uninterested in Jonathan Kuminga’s injury status. Kerr told the media to ask Kuminga for an update on his health. Jonathan Kuminga can be traded by the Warriors starting Janurary 15, 2026.
